What are the different barbecue styles?

Eastern North Carolina
Here the whole hog is cooked over hickory or oak woods. The pork is pulled or chopped and blended with a vinegar based tomato sauce with crushed red pepper flakes, pepper, salt, and sugar. Most likely the birth place for barbecue in the US.


Western North Carolina
Features the pork shoulder pulled and laced with a tomato sauce with a strong vinegar taste. Many sauces include molasses or Worcestershire to add a punch.


Kansas City
Known for pork ribs and beef brisket. Meat is typically dry rubbed then slow smoked or roasted over hickory wood. Sauces are thick tomato based with vinegar, brown sugar, and can be spicy.


Memphis
Best known for ribs and shredded pork. The barbecue here is typically without sauce and is rubbed heavily with seasoning which forms a bark around the smoked meat. Coleslaw is usually placed on top of the pulled pork sandwich.


Texas
Best known for their beef and slow smoking with oak, hickory, and mesquite. You will also find ribs, turkey, sausage, and pork shoulder. Texas style sauce is usually made of ketchup with a combination of cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and paprika.


Kentucky
Features Lamb, Mutton, or Poultry. Sauces are tomato based, peppery, or a black sauce which is made of vinegar and molasses. The meat is basted with worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon, salt, black pepper, and water.